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May 30th, 2011
"Please prepare for descent, the plane will be landing in about 10 minutes." The cheery face of the flight attendent is eerily pleasant. The chipper voice, perfectly pinned up hair, and pearl white teeth pushing her deliciously rosy cheeks upwards.
I started licking my lips, she is completely yummy looking and I am a tad hungry.
"Uncle Gabriel," Sophia says while nudging me in the ribs.
I look at her sitting in the airplane seat next to me and blink away the red glow haunting my eyes.
"Yes?"
"No trying to eat the flight attendents," she jokingly warns.
I hug her and assure her that I wouldn't.
I look away from the stewardess and out the small window, outside the houses and features of Ireland are growing larger as the plane gets closer to the ground.
I hugged Sophia as thoughts of our Russian journey filled my mind. Images of us running around St.Petersburg flustered, and the wonder on her face when we toured the Romanov palace. Also part of my memories were when she dressed in a pretty green dress and I took her to a barn party. It was technically a father daughter dance but Sophia and I never obey the rules. There was some modern russian favorites as well as traditional dances which I greatly enjoyed while I spun Sophia around and around. Lifting her into the air and then spinning her, the way she smiled and squealed in delight. And then there were the other kids her age, while the kids danced I talked to their fathers. I think our favorite memory was the night I took her on top of the Peterhoff palace and watched her eyes go wide, trying to capture each and every detail of the busy Russian night. It was just midnight but it was still so busy. The bright streetlights and shop lights illuminated all of Russia beautifully.
"Its-" her breath caught in her throat, "-beautiful."
"Wait for it," I whisper.
A minute of silence later and the star spotted sky broke out into a spectrum of vibrant colors, loud bangs and trickling lights.
Down below on the street people stopped and stared at the fireworks, applauding and praising them, thinking they had the best view.
But Sophia and I lay down on top of the dome shaped roof and stared overhead, watching the fireworks explode in the heavens and then trickle down to the Earth.
"Uncle Gabriel?"
I look at her and the green glow of a firework illuminating her face.
"Yes, my beautiful niece?"
"Will we come here ever again? Just you and me?" I see my reflection in her blue eyes, my face illuminated by a red explosion above.
"You tell me when you want to come back and we will." I promise.
Nothing was going to change, I would forever remember this moment, how perfect and together my life finally is.
Sophia was smiling brilliantly as she turned her head back to the stars.
Yes, Russia had changed so much but so had I. I was no longer stuck in the age that would never come again, but I was moving through the world- not as a man from the 1300's but as a vampire of the current age.
The wheels touched the ground and Sophia and I went to gather our things.
Soon the taxi was pulling up in front of Jordan's house. As Sophia opened the door on her side Jordan threw open the house door and raced to hug her baby, Josh was barely a second behind her. I smiled politely and brought Sophia's things inside while she was being hugged to death. It was sweet but I felt as if I had lost her, I felt like she was no longer mine and I started to miss her even though she hadn't gone anywhere.
I walked back outside to hug Jordan and Josh and tell them about the trip, it was truly wonderful and exactly what the both of us needed. After hugging Sophia and saying goodbye to Jordan and Josh, I started walking over the field separating their house from the main house. My heart was weighed with the sadness of my neice returning to her parents until I remember who was waiting for me at the main house: Johanna, my wife. We have only been married for two months, one of which I had spent away with Sophia. The sadness dissapeared, my heart exploded with happiness and my lonely trudge turned into a sprint across the field. I was racing as if it depended on her life that we see each other instantly.
I threw open the front door and took in the sight. The living room was exactly how I had left it, nothing at all had changed and the only minor difference throughout the house is that Rhoan's scent isn't as pronounced as usual, telling me that he still hasn't returned.
I hear humming coming from the back room, Johanna's humming. I race through the front room and into the back to see her doing laundry.
I take in the sight of her:
She has her hair kept out of her face by a red bandanna which she rolled up as a headband. She has on jean shorts and a white crop top as well as her usual converse high tops. The sun was shinning through the windows, making a golden glow settle over her skin and hair.
I used to have this image that once a woman got married she never dressed the same, she dressed...well, like a married woman, not a teenager.
But not my Johanna, she continues to dress just as she had the day I met her, and I love her for it, her uniqueness and wonder.
Suddenly Johanna stops what she is folding and stands up straight as if she had heard me coming. She turns around and before she can utter my name I have my arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her to me and then my mouth is covering hers.
She winds her arms around my neck and tangles her fingers into my hair, locking us together.
Eventually we pull apart, her hands rest on my cheeks, her eyes staring up into mine.
"You're finally back," She whispers, "I missed you so much."
"I missed you too, Johanna." I lean down and kiss her again.
"Ugh its been so lonely here without you!"
"Yeah, what did you do while I was gone?"
"Well, how surprised would you be if I said that I behaved?"
"Very," I joke.
"Well I worked, and spent a couple days with Jordan. Oh, Rhoan and I went clubbing a few nights. Umm, that's pretty much it."
"Really? I'm shocked. You and Rhoan didn't get into any trouble?"
"Nope. Well he was only here for a few days, then he went on his trip to Pennsylvania."
My brow furrowed, I had forgotten about that, "Has he called saying how he's doing?"
"No, but my sister did." Johanna smiles mischeviously, "They're doing just fine."
"'They'?!"
"Well where do you think he was staying, silly?"
I shrugged and then asked, "Are they dating now?"
Johanna laughs a little as she says, "I hope so. Could you imagine being in my sisters shoes and watching your younger sister get married before you did?"
I don't get girl logic, why would it even matter who gets married first?
I blink once to tell Johanna that I'm not going to answer that question.
She waves her hands around, frazzled, "It doesn't matter, tell me all about your trip. What did the two of you do the entire time?"
Images of fireworks and restricted rooms in the Romanov palace fill my mind.
"Unlike you, we weren't able to behave ourselves."
"Yeah? Well, you know, I'm tired of being good for so long," She purrs.
"Then why don't you be naughty," I whisper.
She kisses my jaw and then my neck, "If you insist."
Playfully she runs up the stairs and I chase behind her. When I get up there she is already lounging naked on the bed. I start un-zipping my pants as I close the door.
I was lightly dragging my fingers over Johanna's back as we both stared off dreamily into the middle of nowhere.
"That was a great 'welcome home'." I say aloud.
Johanna laughs and we both get quite again.
But like usual my thoughts had me shifting in anticipation, I had just remembered something that I had forgotten. So I get off the bed and pull some sweatpants on.
"Where are you going?"
"Not far," I reply. I take Johanna's suitcase out from underneath the bed and then open up the closet. I start packing all of her favorite clothes and everything else that she might need.
"Where am I going?" Johanna asks from underneath the bed sheet.
"WE are going on our honeymoon." I smile.
"But you just got back from Russia, don't you want to wait a little while?"
I put down the clothes I had in my hands and jump onto the bed.
"I'm a 623 year old vampire, I don't need rest. But if you wanted to wait a little while-?"
"No, oh no!" Johanna quickly replies, "Of course I want to go on our real honeymoon. Its just- We need to plan it."
I smile sweetly at her and then say, "I already did."
"What?! When? Where are we going?"
I kiss her forehead and then shove myself off the bed and continue packing her things.
"Gabriel Ryan," She demands, and then sighs angrily, "at least let me know how long we'll be gone so I can tell my boss."
Johanna is ready to text her boss when I say, "I don't think your boss can hold your job for a year."
Her eyes flick up from the screen to hold mine, "A year?! Where are we going?"
I sigh and then turn on her laptop, I search an image of the world map and hold it up to her face.
"Close your eyes and pick a place for us to start," The smile that spreads across her face and the excitement in her eyes is what I live for.
Yes, friends come and go... but best friends come and go with you. And yes, family is forever...even if you can't see them. I was about to go on my honeymoon, traveling the world, for a year with my best friend and a very important part of my family.
-Gabriel
"Please prepare for descent, the plane will be landing in about 10 minutes." The cheery face of the flight attendent is eerily pleasant. The chipper voice, perfectly pinned up hair, and pearl white teeth pushing her deliciously rosy cheeks upwards.
I started licking my lips, she is completely yummy looking and I am a tad hungry.
"Uncle Gabriel," Sophia says while nudging me in the ribs.
I look at her sitting in the airplane seat next to me and blink away the red glow haunting my eyes.
"Yes?"
"No trying to eat the flight attendents," she jokingly warns.
I hug her and assure her that I wouldn't.
I look away from the stewardess and out the small window, outside the houses and features of Ireland are growing larger as the plane gets closer to the ground.
I hugged Sophia as thoughts of our Russian journey filled my mind. Images of us running around St.Petersburg flustered, and the wonder on her face when we toured the Romanov palace. Also part of my memories were when she dressed in a pretty green dress and I took her to a barn party. It was technically a father daughter dance but Sophia and I never obey the rules. There was some modern russian favorites as well as traditional dances which I greatly enjoyed while I spun Sophia around and around. Lifting her into the air and then spinning her, the way she smiled and squealed in delight. And then there were the other kids her age, while the kids danced I talked to their fathers. I think our favorite memory was the night I took her on top of the Peterhoff palace and watched her eyes go wide, trying to capture each and every detail of the busy Russian night. It was just midnight but it was still so busy. The bright streetlights and shop lights illuminated all of Russia beautifully.
"Its-" her breath caught in her throat, "-beautiful."
"Wait for it," I whisper.
A minute of silence later and the star spotted sky broke out into a spectrum of vibrant colors, loud bangs and trickling lights.
Down below on the street people stopped and stared at the fireworks, applauding and praising them, thinking they had the best view.
But Sophia and I lay down on top of the dome shaped roof and stared overhead, watching the fireworks explode in the heavens and then trickle down to the Earth.
"Uncle Gabriel?"
I look at her and the green glow of a firework illuminating her face.
"Yes, my beautiful niece?"
"Will we come here ever again? Just you and me?" I see my reflection in her blue eyes, my face illuminated by a red explosion above.
"You tell me when you want to come back and we will." I promise.
Nothing was going to change, I would forever remember this moment, how perfect and together my life finally is.
Sophia was smiling brilliantly as she turned her head back to the stars.
Yes, Russia had changed so much but so had I. I was no longer stuck in the age that would never come again, but I was moving through the world- not as a man from the 1300's but as a vampire of the current age.
The wheels touched the ground and Sophia and I went to gather our things.
Soon the taxi was pulling up in front of Jordan's house. As Sophia opened the door on her side Jordan threw open the house door and raced to hug her baby, Josh was barely a second behind her. I smiled politely and brought Sophia's things inside while she was being hugged to death. It was sweet but I felt as if I had lost her, I felt like she was no longer mine and I started to miss her even though she hadn't gone anywhere.
I walked back outside to hug Jordan and Josh and tell them about the trip, it was truly wonderful and exactly what the both of us needed. After hugging Sophia and saying goodbye to Jordan and Josh, I started walking over the field separating their house from the main house. My heart was weighed with the sadness of my neice returning to her parents until I remember who was waiting for me at the main house: Johanna, my wife. We have only been married for two months, one of which I had spent away with Sophia. The sadness dissapeared, my heart exploded with happiness and my lonely trudge turned into a sprint across the field. I was racing as if it depended on her life that we see each other instantly.
I threw open the front door and took in the sight. The living room was exactly how I had left it, nothing at all had changed and the only minor difference throughout the house is that Rhoan's scent isn't as pronounced as usual, telling me that he still hasn't returned.
I hear humming coming from the back room, Johanna's humming. I race through the front room and into the back to see her doing laundry.
I take in the sight of her:
She has her hair kept out of her face by a red bandanna which she rolled up as a headband. She has on jean shorts and a white crop top as well as her usual converse high tops. The sun was shinning through the windows, making a golden glow settle over her skin and hair.
I used to have this image that once a woman got married she never dressed the same, she dressed...well, like a married woman, not a teenager.
But not my Johanna, she continues to dress just as she had the day I met her, and I love her for it, her uniqueness and wonder.
Suddenly Johanna stops what she is folding and stands up straight as if she had heard me coming. She turns around and before she can utter my name I have my arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her to me and then my mouth is covering hers.
She winds her arms around my neck and tangles her fingers into my hair, locking us together.
Eventually we pull apart, her hands rest on my cheeks, her eyes staring up into mine.
"You're finally back," She whispers, "I missed you so much."
"I missed you too, Johanna." I lean down and kiss her again.
"Ugh its been so lonely here without you!"
"Yeah, what did you do while I was gone?"
"Well, how surprised would you be if I said that I behaved?"
"Very," I joke.
"Well I worked, and spent a couple days with Jordan. Oh, Rhoan and I went clubbing a few nights. Umm, that's pretty much it."
"Really? I'm shocked. You and Rhoan didn't get into any trouble?"
"Nope. Well he was only here for a few days, then he went on his trip to Pennsylvania."
My brow furrowed, I had forgotten about that, "Has he called saying how he's doing?"
"No, but my sister did." Johanna smiles mischeviously, "They're doing just fine."
"'They'?!"
"Well where do you think he was staying, silly?"
I shrugged and then asked, "Are they dating now?"
Johanna laughs a little as she says, "I hope so. Could you imagine being in my sisters shoes and watching your younger sister get married before you did?"
I don't get girl logic, why would it even matter who gets married first?
I blink once to tell Johanna that I'm not going to answer that question.
She waves her hands around, frazzled, "It doesn't matter, tell me all about your trip. What did the two of you do the entire time?"
Images of fireworks and restricted rooms in the Romanov palace fill my mind.
"Unlike you, we weren't able to behave ourselves."
"Yeah? Well, you know, I'm tired of being good for so long," She purrs.
"Then why don't you be naughty," I whisper.
She kisses my jaw and then my neck, "If you insist."
Playfully she runs up the stairs and I chase behind her. When I get up there she is already lounging naked on the bed. I start un-zipping my pants as I close the door.
I was lightly dragging my fingers over Johanna's back as we both stared off dreamily into the middle of nowhere.
"That was a great 'welcome home'." I say aloud.
Johanna laughs and we both get quite again.
But like usual my thoughts had me shifting in anticipation, I had just remembered something that I had forgotten. So I get off the bed and pull some sweatpants on.
"Where are you going?"
"Not far," I reply. I take Johanna's suitcase out from underneath the bed and then open up the closet. I start packing all of her favorite clothes and everything else that she might need.
"Where am I going?" Johanna asks from underneath the bed sheet.
"WE are going on our honeymoon." I smile.
"But you just got back from Russia, don't you want to wait a little while?"
I put down the clothes I had in my hands and jump onto the bed.
"I'm a 623 year old vampire, I don't need rest. But if you wanted to wait a little while-?"
"No, oh no!" Johanna quickly replies, "Of course I want to go on our real honeymoon. Its just- We need to plan it."
I smile sweetly at her and then say, "I already did."
"What?! When? Where are we going?"
I kiss her forehead and then shove myself off the bed and continue packing her things.
"Gabriel Ryan," She demands, and then sighs angrily, "at least let me know how long we'll be gone so I can tell my boss."
Johanna is ready to text her boss when I say, "I don't think your boss can hold your job for a year."
Her eyes flick up from the screen to hold mine, "A year?! Where are we going?"
I sigh and then turn on her laptop, I search an image of the world map and hold it up to her face.
"Close your eyes and pick a place for us to start," The smile that spreads across her face and the excitement in her eyes is what I live for.
Yes, friends come and go... but best friends come and go with you. And yes, family is forever...even if you can't see them. I was about to go on my honeymoon, traveling the world, for a year with my best friend and a very important part of my family.
-Gabriel